China once again blocks declaring Masood Azhar a “Global Terrorist”

New Delhi, August 3: China has once again extended the technical hold of terrorist leader Masood Azhar without declaring him a terrorist, for three more months. While the US, UK and France have backed the proposal list, which includes JeM chief and Pathankot Terror attack master brain Masood Azhar, as a Designated Terrorist, by the UN. The dead line given to China for taking action on its technical hold was until August 2.

During February 2017, China blocked the US move to nominate Masood Azhar as a Global Terrorist at the United Nations. If China would not have extended the Technical hold this time, Azhar would have spontaneously been nominated under the UN as a terrorist. Azhar is been on the hit-list and most wanted by India, in association with the Brazen Terror Attack in Punjab’s Pathankot last year.

Media reports clarify that if China fails to declare Masood Azhar a terrorist, and if it extends it to three more months until November 2, travel ban would be reinforced. During March 2016, China was the sole member in the 15-nations and was blocking India’s move. Thus the UN has put a hold on India’s application along with the 114 existing members of the council, supporting India’s application to place Azhar on the 1267 sanction list. This would have been subjected him to an arrest as well as a travel ban.

On December 2016, China blocked India’s proposal to list the JeM chief, and the Indian diplomatic sources had clarified that the pursuing of terrorism was not a “one shot affair” for India. Moreover, the source clarified that the block would not prevent India from pursing to the issues of terrorism globally.